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For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

This year, the renowned color company has chosen white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection".

It marks the first time a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and reflects a shared yearning to slow down, reset and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "insensitive", arguing that promoting sparse and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes most people inhabit.

Additional critics argue that framing white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, causing discomfort during current societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white carries deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

Beaumont cites the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of emptiness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a UK-based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can readily feel sterile at home," she explains.

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give clinical feelings."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be inviting and lived-in, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to express individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and adaptable".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a powerful industry signal.

Previous selections have included the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue seems soft and elegant rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a peaceful, calming ambiance".

"Should you don't want to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury